Gillian Blease writes. . . . .
We are a small market garden in West Ardnamurchan growing and selling produce to local residents and visitors to the area. The Lighthouse at Ardnamurchan Point has 3 wonderful walled gardens – originally used by the lighthouse keepers for crops and livestock – now currently empty – which we are planning to develop in partnership with the the lighthouse trust. There is a disused well in one of the gardens and a stone clamp/cold store in another. It is as far west as you can get on the British mainland with wonderful views and wildlife, and whilst it benefits from the mild temperatures of the gulf stream it is a windy spot.
If anyone has experience of lighthouse gardens, we would love to know. We are also interested in any information that will help us explore the heritage of such gardens as this is something we would like to highlight as part of the visitor information for the site. Any thoughts or suggestions will be gratefully received. Many thanks
Contact Gillian at mail@gillianblease.co.uk
The National Maritime Museum Cornwall NMMC held a fabulous exhibition about lighthouse keepers a few years back called On The Rocks – part of it still on display. They probably worked with Trinity House the Lighthouse People – so worth contacting NMMC or Trinity House re their archives? the Garden Museum in London or Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh or RBG Kew might also have material in their library of journals. Some of the Victorain / Edwardian garden journals are now searchable online freely through American or British university sites.
Lighthouse gardens may be an unusual enough subject to have attracted some garden journalistic attention or even botanical enquiries to Kew or Edinburgh RBG .
These gardens may have grown kale, kale and even more kale – A Scottish coastal stand by even in extreme weather / conditions.
Interesting project. Best wishes
Hi Mark
Many thanks for this information. I’ll contact both eh NMMC and Trinity House.The Lindley library in London also have amazing archives so I’ll have a look along with the Edinburgh BG and possibly Kew as you suggest. Funnily enough our kale can end up horizontal and full of holes if we’re not careful. We’re finding leeks and onions very successful – they escape the slugs! Thanks again, your help is much appreciated.